Open letter from John Douglas to all members

Monday 12 March 2012

Dear Member

We all know that the current economic environment is challenging and difficult and that the austerity measures demanded by the Troika Bailout Agreement are having a major negative impact on the Retail Sector and as a consequence our members’ jobs, conditions and earnings. Mandate knows from the hundreds of calls we receive from members each week that ordinary workers are hurting – but we need to know exactly what is happening in retail outlets across the country so that we can develop a campaign to fight back.

With this in mind we have asked a trusted independent Irish research agency (Behaviour & Attitudes) to conduct research with a sample of members of Mandate on our behalf. The research will be by way of a telephone interview, and will last approximately 10 to 15 minutes. The purpose of the survey will be to understand our members’ work-related situation over the last year or so, how this has changed over recent years, and members’ views on likely future work -related issues.

The research is completely confidential and the participants and their opinions are never revealed to Mandate, or indeed to anybody else.

A sample of our members will be contacted by Behaviour & Attitudes with a view to completing the telephone interview. If you would prefer not to participate, you can either advise them if and when they call you, or indeed simply go now to the top of the Mandate home page and click on the “Contact” button and send us an email to the effect that you do not want to participate in the survey.

As a way of thanking our members for their participation in this research, all who take part in the survey will be entered in to five separate draws for a flat screen TV.

Data Protection – Use of Information

The personal survey information provided by you to Mandate’s research agency, Behaviour & Attitudes Ltd, will be treated in the strictest confidence. This information will be held and used solely for the purpose of the survey, and will not be retained thereafter.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Yours sincerely,

John Douglas
General Secretary